


We Left to Protect You Both

by orphan_account



Series: Story Starter Prompts [3]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi, time travel that doesn't make sense but it happens so just deal with it and read the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24881677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: How to Train Your Dragon. I hated the ending of HtTYD 3 (bittersweet stuff is the worst and yet, like, wow, they fucking sold that series, didn't they?) so yeah, stuff goes down. Zephyr and Nuffink were born early here, Nuffink narrates to himself to Zephyr's irritation, there's this rock? I have author notes for this one. It's kind of long. It was going to be a massive one-shot. I think. Don't remember. It's kind of weird. I'm tired today. Just read it. Bye.
Relationships: Dragon Riders (How to Train Your Dragon) - Relationship, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Series: Story Starter Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800397
Kudos: 11





	We Left to Protect You Both

"We can't let them go on their own." Astrid said quietly from beside Hiccup, setting her hand on his shoulder, as the dragons started to rise into the air. The slightly rough black Night Fury scales were cool against her fingers as she gave a comforting squeeze, whilst speaking their thoughts aloud. Behind them, Toothless, the only Night Fury in the world, and Stormfly, the most loyal Nadder to ever fly, stayed grounded, close together, unwilling to leave their friends just yet. "You've seen how cruel people can be, and what they'll do to what they don't understand. This is just preventing the inevitable."

"What do you suggest?" Hiccup said, voice filled with bitterness. "We go with them?"

He turned his head to face her, and her expression hardened, lips pressing together, but she didn't say anything. He took it for what it was.

"So we what? Just take Zephyr, and Nuffink, and raise them with dragons? What about New Berk?"

"We both know that while you are a great chief, a wonderful one, your heart lies in exploring, not settling petty arguments and deciding where to build halls." she said. "And there are other options for chief."

"Who, Snotlout?"

She nodded once. "He's matured a lot since you met Toothless. You know he'd be great at it, and Valka would be there to help. Not to mention Gobber, and Fishlegs, and the twins."

"The twins." Hiccup repeated dryly. "Not your best argument."

She smiled. "Most of their mess-ups are for show these days. Very theatrical, like you. And Gothi would be there too."

"To what, hit them over the head with her stick and have them end up like Ruff' and Tuff'?"

"Hiccup, you know I'm right." she said, voice a whisper. "We can't let them go alone, and we can't take the kids. I love the two, I really, really do, but we can't raise them among dragons, and what's better? Protecting their future, and their kids to be, or sitting on this island forever, not knowing? With the dragons, we can come back. Check on them, make sure everything is fine."

"We'd have to talk to them." Hiccup said. "We'd have to—"

"We can do it." she promised. "And I think you know this is what we have to do. I'd love to take the kids, but it's not safe, and Toothless? If his tailfin breaks, he'll die, you know that."

Hiccup snorted. "I've agreed with you, you don't have to guilt trip me."

"Sorry."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Valka asked Hiccup, as he gave his three-year-old daughter one last hug, crouched down on one knee. "There's no turning back."

"There was for you." he pointed out, looking up at her over Zephyr's shoulder. She scoffed.

"It's quite a bit different."

"I know," he said, pulling away from the young Viking, who was looking down at her feet. "Hey, look at me."

Zephyr didn't quite understand what was going on. Nuffink, still swaddled in a blanket, certainly didn't. But she knew enough to know that her parents were leaving, and that was enough to cause her to weep silently. Hiccup tilted her chin up, so that her blue eyes were locked on his green ones, and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Then, he used both thumbs to gently wipe away her pooling tears. "I've got something for you. You can protect it for me, yeah?"

Her lips parted in surprise as he held out a small notebook to her. Pressed into the worn leather cover, was an icon of a dragon in flight. It had clearly seen better days, with a charcoal pencil hanging from the spine, tied to a strip of thin leather. She reached out nervously, and took it in both hands, as if scared it might break. Kindly, he guided her in opening it, and flipped through a few pages, showing her his work. Drawings of Astrid, one or two of Stoick, or Gobber. Both on and off dragons. Each page was covered in tiny sketches, of dragons and the people that rode them. Then, came designs. For saddles, and swords and shields and axes. Notes about plants, islands, maps. And finally, at the very back, on the page that was the inside of the back cover, a drawing sat. He turned the book sideways so Zephyr could see it properly.

It showed their family. Hiccup sitting on a rock beside Astrid, who was holding a slightly aged up Nuffink in her arms, Zephyr's arms wrapped around her father's shoulders, cheek pressed against his neck. They didn't have armour, or weapons. They wore simple, everyday clothes, everyone of them, all smiling.

A small gasp escaped Zephyr, and she looked up at her father in amazement.

He smiled, and tapped the page gently with one finger as Astrid crouched beside him, still holding Nuffink. "This is our family. And what does family mean?"

Zephyr mouthed the words alongside her mother, then repeated them on her own, aloud, voice barely there.

"We save each other."

"Exactly." Hiccup agreed. "And if you need saving, someone is going to be there. Now, it might not be me or your mom, as much as we want it to be. But Fishlegs is family, and so is Gobber, and Nuffink, and Valka, and the twins. Someone's _always_ going to be there."

"And we're always going to love you." Astrid said. "No matter where we are, or when. I promise."

Zephyr let her father close the book, and show her how to tie it shut with a leather cord, before she launched herself at her parents, wrapping her arms around them. Astrid laughed lightly, wrapping an arm around her daughters back.

"It's okay." she promised. "It's okay."

Slowly, Zephyr let go. Nuffink was passed to Valka, and the young Viking girl held the book tightly to her chest, as her parents mounted their dragons. She didn't wave as they flew into the distance, just watched, silently, as they became smaller, and smaller, until she blinked. And then she couldn't see them anymore.

* * *

 _**Six Berk Years Later  
** _ _**(Unknown Amount of Dragon Years)** _

"This is Berk."

Nuffink Hofferson peeked out the window of the chief's house, only to yelp, and duck down when someone raced past, screaming in Norse. It was dark out, and very early in the morning. Loud clangs, and shouts rang throughout the village, and fire's illuminated the streets, alongside the house lights and streetlights. A moment later, his sister, Zephyr Hofferson grabbed his left wrist, and yanked him to his feet. Unlike his sister, who had bright blue eyes, and braided back brown hair, and who was brave, Nuffink was blonde, with green eyes. And scared of things.

"We gotta go!" she shouted, pulling him right out their door, and onto their porch, before dragging him down the steps, and heading for the village blacksmith. Chaos reigned around the pair, as Nuffink's eyes darted around, heart pounding, feet dragging, while Zephyr marched confidently, easily overpowering her younger sibling.

"In the stories, Old Berk was on an island, north of Hopeless, and south of Freezing to Death. It was located on Misery. New Berk is a bit warmer. I think."

Zephyr gasped as a large woman with an axe lunged at them, pulling her brother close, and turning away, pressed against the back wall of a house. But before the woman could strike, a figure darted past the children, and landed a solid hit on the blonde's side, causing her to stumble, and drop her weapon in surprise. Zephyr stared, her hold on Nuffink weakening as she watched the shadow-for there really was no other word for it-kicked the axe away, sending it into the night, before bringing their knee up and into the woman's stomach, sending her reeling back. They finished by way of another shadow, who appeared behind the woman, with said woman's axe, and they sunk the blade into the ground, causing her to trip over it, stumbling down the hill with a shout of surprise.

The shadow's turned to Zephyr, who narrowed her eyes, then grabbed Nuffink's wrist again, and darted off, deciding to deal with them later.

"Old Berk also had dragons. According to the adults, that's how we got here. Dragons are supposed to be awesome. But they're scary."

The two sprinted across an open area filled with clashing warriors; rather, Zephyr did, pulling her brother along. He yelped in protest, fighting back, trying to rip his hand free, and failing. "No, no, no, no, no!"

She ignored him.

"The people attacking are Outliers. They've been—"

"Would you _shut up_ with your narration?" Zephyr demanded, as they crashed through a doorway, into a cluttered workshop, and fell to the ground. She pushed herself up and glared at him. "It's annoying!"

She didn't wait for an answer, already on her feet, and bolting the door shut with a heavy metal bar. Something slammed against it, and she turned, heading past Nuffink, into the forge. He sat up, and scooted over to the wall, where a couple of books were piled. He lifted the top one, and opened it, revealing pages upon pages of maps. He admired the drawings as the battle raged around him, as Gobber, and Zephyr worked to repair weapons.

"They've been attacking forever. But Chief Snotlout says it'll end soon. He promised it won't be a really long war, like with the dragons, before the dragons were nice."

An explosion shook the forge, and Nuffink whimpered, slamming the book shut, and holding it to his chest, knee's pulled close, eyes squeezed shut.

"I really hope he's right."

* * *

"See anyone ya know?" Gobber asked, as Zephyr untied her apron. Or tried to. At nine, she'd run straight into the battle one night, swinging a too-big sword. It was pure luck she hadn't been killed. And a fair bit of that luck was named Valka. The village's leaders had then decided to put her to work at the forge, so that she might at least be kept busy, and could help in a way that wouldn't leave Nuffink more of an orphan than he already was.

She mostly kept the fire alive, and sometimes hammered things out. But she was going to be patient, and learn lots.

Just not yet.

The raid was over. New Berk had won again.

"No."

"Anyone strange then? Trolls, perhaps? Got yeh left socks?"

Zephyr rolled her eyes. She didn't understand the bit about trolls, or believe it, although Nuffink did. He guarded his left socks very carefully, something that Valka always found funny, for one reason or another. Zephyr didn't even humor Gobber about the trolls anymore.

Then, she remembered the two figures who had saved her and Nuffink on their way to the forge. Nuffink got terrified if left at the house alone, so she'd started bringing him with her, if only to shut him up. Although his narrations were quite annoying.

"Shadows."

Gobber frowned at that. "Shadows, eh? What kind?"

"People." she said, standing on her toes, and reaching up with one hand to demonstrate their height. She was on a stool, so it actually worked. "That tall-ish. One really black, the other blue."

"Really?" Gobber said, clearly very interested. "What'd they do, these 'shadows'?"

"Tripped axe lady." Zephyr said simply, climbing down, and moving to the hook that kept her apron when she wasn't wearing it. "Was 'bout to hurt me and Nuffink."

"You brought Nuffink?"

"He'd cry if I didn't." she replied, going on her toes again to reach the hook. Gobber grabbed the apron from her, and hung it up for her with ease.

"Startin' to wonder if I shouldn't just let you two sleep in here." Gobber muttered, shaking his head, voice going even lower as he said his next words, ones that Zephyr didn't hear.

"Don't be silly." she scolded, heading for the door she'd come in by, and Nuffink, who stood the moment he saw both her and Gobber. "It smells bad in here."

"Eh, good point lass." Gobber agreed, as he opened the door for them, and Nuffink raised a hand to block the weak light that cut across his face. "Now, these shadows -"

A screech echoed throughout the village, which was lit by the earliest of morning sunlight. The fire brigade had done their job; nothing was burning anymore. Zephyr looked up as a shadow crossed over her, and her jaw dropped.

It was a giant, flying lizard. A dragon, from her father's notebook. Black, and sleek, with two wings, and a pair of tailfins, it flapped its wings wildly, hovering in the air, and then letting out another call, that made Nuffink whimper, and press against Zephyr.

"Great Odin." Gobber whispered in awe. "They're back. They're back!"

The shout echoed through the village, and was sent back, by other voices, as a second dragon landed, this one with two legs, taller, and blue. It took Zephyr only a moment to place what species each one was. A Deadly Nadder and a Night Fury.

And then, a figure dropped from the Night Fury's claws, landing in a crouch on the stone street, followed by a second, this one from the Nadder's back, who rolled into a crouch. Their dragons landed beside them, and they both stood up straight, but relaxed. Not ready for a fight.

"You're back!" someone shouted. Tuffnut? What was he—who was back? Who were they?

The shadow's flipped up their visors, and everything clicked for Zephyr. All her life, she'd heard stories about two people, who had gone to protect the dragons, and make sure that when the dragons returned, peace would be maintained. Were the dragons coming back? Now! But how? And why?

The pair was swarmed within moments by the adults, including the Chief, the only visible parts of them the Nadder's head and part of its neck. Zephyr pressed her lips together in worry. Dragons were dangerous! What were they thinking?

"Go on then." Gobber said, nudging Zephyr forwards. "Ya two are next in line for leaders. It's yah duty to go 'n' say hello!"

"Right." Zephyr swallowed, and lifted her chin, pulling her brother forwards, marching through the crowd. "Right."

"Dragons!" Nuffink hissed, clearly not wanting to do what they were doing.

"Be quiet!" Zephyr ordered, swatting him on the shoulder, and nudging Fishleg, gaining his attention. "S'cuse. Gotta say hi, Gobber said it."

The group parted, letting the two siblings pass, then reformed behind them. Nuffink squeaked, and hid behind his sister, who sighed dramatically, and marched right up to the shorter of the two, the woman in blue. She held her hands behind her back, and lifted her shoulders and chin, trying to appear strong.

"Welcome to New Berk." she said as bravely as she could. "I'm Zephyr."

Then, she stepped aside, and pushed Nuffink forwards. He sunk in on himself. "This is my younger brother, Nuffink."

The woman knelt down onto one knee, her blond bangs peeking out from under her helm, an axe strapped to her back, but otherwise weaponless. Zephyr stared for a moment at the full-body armor, then focused on the other shadow. He was in black armor, with bits of red. At his hip, a hilt sat. That seemed stupid. What could you do with a hilt? Bonk someone on the head with it?

"Hello Nuffink." the woman said, regaining Zephyr's attention, as she gestured to herself, then her companions. "I'm Astrid. That's Hiccup. And our dragons, Stormfly, and Toothless."

She held out one hand kindly, and Nuffink slowly, very slowly, took it, and she gave a gentle shake, before letting go. He pulled his hand back quickly, and darted back behind his sister.

"He's shy." Zephyr said dismissively, offering her hand to Astrid, who took it and gave it a firm shake as well.

"Shall we go inside?" Chief suggested, from behind the Hofferson siblings, and Astrid stood up straight again, not bothering to dust herself off. "Probably more private than out here."

"Sure." Hiccup, the man, agreed. "If you guys are okay with it."

And that was how Zephyr found herself trailing behind her Chief, her brother gripping her hand for dear life, a pair of dragons, and their riders following them.

* * *

Zephyr watched the meeting that was below her through a crack in the floorboards, which showed the dinning table perfectly. Nuffink was reading, like he always was. He wouldn't spy on anyone. The adults were talking, but it just confused her. The shadows, Fishlegs, the Chief, and the twins. But no one else? Why not? Not that she was complaining. The other leaders she didn't always like. Mildew was mean, and Gothi, while nice enough, would bonk you over the head if you made her mad. Valka usually just listened to things, and Gobber did... Gobber-like things.

"What about Meatlug?" Fishlegs was asking. "How is she doing?"

"Great." Hiccup replied happily. "The Gronckles are actually doing the best out of all the Berk dragons in the Hidden Kingdom. They're very resilient."

"That's great." Fishlegs said dreamily. "And the dragonets?"

"Excellent fliers." Astrid said, leaning her head on Hiccups shoulder. Were they together? It looked like it. "The Terrors adore them."

"What about Barf?" one of the twins asked from out of Zephyr's view. She frowned. Which one was it? They weren't alike in voice, but she was always around both of them, never just one. She'd never learned to separate the two.

"And Belch?" the other added. Tuffnut. So... the other one was Ruffnut.

"They're… ah… Barf and Belch. Not much has changed about that." Astrid said with a chuckle. She, like Hiccup, had removed her helmet, revealing long blonde hair that was worn loose, pulled back only by a headband. Hiccup's hair was slightly wavy, and brown, a couple of braids tied into it. Probably by Astrid. So, they were together?

"Awesome." Tuffnut said, wandering into view and sitting down. "Wish I could go there."

"You could." Astrid said. "If you wanted to, you all could."

"Nah." Ruffnut said, sitting down beside her twin brother. "Can't prank anyone there!"

Hiccup scoffed, while Fishlegs tried to hide his snickers, and failed. "Alright. But the offers open anyways. Who were those guys attacking?"

"Outliers." Chief replied grimly, clearly unhappy. "Remains of the dragon trappers, looking for territory. Instead of building something, they're trying to steal it instead. They don't get many of us, but… we don't exactly get a lot of them either."

Hiccup nodded, and Zephyr shifted over to her left eye, her right one tired. "Do you—you want help? If you're okay with it?"

"A third party to carry messages and oversee peace negotiations would be great." Fishlegs said brightly, before turning to the Chief. "They don't have to know who Hiccup and Astrid are."

"Peace negotiations?" Astrid asked. "But they just attacked."

"Snotlout hit their leader!" Tuffnut said happily, slamming his fist into the table, and causing the Night Fury, who was spread out under it, to twitch its tail. "Really hard! And told them to leave! And they retreated!"

Chief nodded at this. "I'd rather negotiate and send them off, then fight for twenty years and kill all of them. Way faster."

"Never thought it's see the day." Astrid said jokingly. "Snotlout; responsible."

"Hey!" the Chief complained. "I'm great!"

"No, 'course you're not." Tuffnut mocked. "You suck."

He stuck out his tongue, and the Chief punched him in the shoulder, causing Ruffnut to giggle, and her brother pushed her off the end of the bench, onto the dragon tail in retaliation. Zephyr stiffened in worry, but the twin just sat up, patted the tail fin, and sat back down on the bench again, without batting an eye.

"We can do that." Hiccup promised, ignoring the roughhousing. "Who's trappers are they?"

"They're from before the Hidden World." the Chief said. "Drago's. They vanished for a while, but then popped back up. Keep the masks down, and don't talk, and we should be good."

"And don't use Inferno." Fishlegs added.

"Yeah!" Tuffnut chimed in. "They might remember your disgustingly-awesome-dragon-slobber-magic-fire-and-exploding-gas-sword you know."

Okay, _what_?

Hiccup snorted. "I'll keep it in mind. The dragons?"

"Don't have to be present, necessarily." Astrid pointed out. "Toothless can camouflage, and drop us there, and take us back. They can watch negotiations from afar, and step in if they need too. Which they won't."

"It could work." the Chief agreed. "Wait, camouflage?

"It's new." Astrid said, as her boyfriend (Zephyr had decided they had to be at least that) spoke at the same time, but it wasn't really talking over her. It was odd.

"Great!" Hiccup said. "When should we do it?"

"They attack every week, sometimes two weeks, almost to the date." Fishlegs said, then counted on his fingers for a moment as he spoke, calculating. "I've been counting to see if there was a pattern. We have about three or four days at the least before we're at risk. That's plenty of time for repairs, setting up a neutral area, and ensuring the village is defensible, along with sending a message."

"Can you two help with repairs?" Chief said. "Heavy lifting, and those sorts of things?"

The Night Fury crawled out from the table, and sat beside Hiccup, acting like some kind of dog. It let out a sort of rumbling coo, that reminded Zephyr of Gothi's donkey that wandered around aimlessly. Hiccup laughed.

"That's a yes."

* * *

Zephyr watched from up on the hill, two days later, as the final rebuilding touches were made. In her lap, sat her father's notebook, open to the page on dragons. He'd seemed particularly fascinated with the Night Fury, a creature that terrified Nuffink every time he saw the books open to those pages. She didn't like dragons any more than he did, but she had enough self-control to hide it. She'd read the original book of dragons. They were beasts. Killers. Despite training them to obey human commands, it didn't change what they were.

"What's that?"

The voice startled Zephyr, who slammed her book shut, head jerking up. It was Hiccup who had spoken, although she could barely see him without turning her head. She kept looking right ahead as she answered. "A book."

"Ah. Cool. Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead." she said stiffly, and he sat down on her right, the prosthesis that replaced his left foot clicking as he did so. She glanced at it, then at him.

"You want to know how I lost it, don't you?"

"No." she said, far too quickly, and he laughed, elbows resting comfortably on his knees.

"You're curious. It's a good trait to have."

"It is?" she couldn't help the question, and he smiled at her. Kindly. Reminding her of Valka. "Mildew says it'll get me dead soon."

"Mildew's still around?" Hiccup sounded surprised. "Stubborn old coot, I'd thought for sure he'd have kicked the can by now. Then again, Gothi's here, wacking people, so it's not that surprising."

"Still around." she said, twisting a blade of grass around her finger. "He's mean."

"Yeah, he was never nice to me back in Old Berk."

Her head shot up. "You lived in Old Berk?"

"Grew up there." Hiccup smiled at her. "So yeah. Why?"

"People talk." she said shortly. Then, after a beat; "Is being curious really good?"

"Oh yeah. It's what changed our worldview. Your dad, he was curious as could be. Got him into enough trouble, but it usually got him out of most of it."

She barely hesitated. "You knew my dad?"

"Oh yeah." Hiccup chuckled. "Crazy kid he was. Made all these inventions at the forge, and they backfired half the time, doing more damage to the village than they should have. Kept the twins in check with what he gave them things to fiddle with though."

"What-what was he like?"

"I dunno." Hiccup said, looking away from her, gaze roaming over the town below. "It's been a while."

"Please?"

He laughed again, and leaned forwards a bit more. "Alright. Let me think. Um… he drew a lot. Didn't like eel. Was thin like a fish bone, exact opposite of his father. Mostly went under the sonar, actually."

"What's 'sonar'?"

"It's a thing Toothless can do. He lets out a cry, and the sound bounces back, making a picture of what's around him so he can fly blind if he really needs to."

"Oh. That's cool."

"Yeah." Hiccup said, then frowned. "You wanted to know about my leg earlier, didn't you?"

"Um… no. Not really."

"Is that a lie?"

She squirmed under his gaze, tugging the blade of grass from the ground, and flicking it away. "Maybe?"

He tapped the top part of his prosthetic with one gloved hand, as if knowing the truth about her answer. "Ever hear the story of the Red Death?"

"Yeah." Zephyr nodded. The Red Death was a famous story, that had just solidified how evil dragons were in her mind. How could something do something like that?

"There was an explosion. We couldn't save my leg, so they had to take it off. Built this to replace it instead, and it's actually better than before. Well, it worked better with the old saddle rigging I used, but now with Toothless's new tail fin, we don't need that."

"What do you mean? Rigging?"

Hiccup set his chin on his arms, looking into the distance. "Back in Old Berk. One of the last raids, I shot Toothless down with a bola. Didn't know about how great dragons really are back then. I went out to kill him, ended up freeing him.

"What I didn't know was that the fall had cut off one of his tail fins. He got trapped in this cove, and I ended up building a tail fin for him. It didn't work without a rider to control it, so I had to rig a saddle up, and one thing moved into the next."

"Had to?" Zephyr echoed quietly, and he nodded.

"Oh yeah. I was terrified the first time he flew, or tried to. Didn't work so well."

"Flew." she repeated, thoughtful, and didn't even notice him stand up, until his hand was offered. She glanced up, confused. He smiled.

"The first real time - there's nothing quite like it."

"But… what about my book?" no, she would not admit dragons scared her. She _would not_.

His expression softened. "You have a bag, right here."

He tapped her shoulder, where the strap hung, and she nodded quietly. Without realizing what she was doing, she tied the book shut, and slid it into her knapsack, yanking the cord tight and tying it tighter, before slinging it back on. Then, she let Hiccup lead her up the hill a ways, to where the Night Fury was sleeping.

"Toothless!" he called, and the dragon opened its eyes, standing up and bouncing forwards. Zephyr yelped, and ducked behind Hiccup, before the dragon could get to her. He laughed quietly, and said something to the dragon, before stepping aside, exposing her. He crouched down on one knee, and gently flattened Zephyr's right hand, guiding it towards the Night Fury's maw. She tried to pull back, but he didn't let her, grip firm, yet gentle.

"Hold your hand out like this." he instructed kindly. "Let him come to you."

Zephyr watched in a mix of awe and horror as the Night Fury leaned in, felt the hot breath exhaled on her skin. Her fingers twitched. She turned her head away, terrified, and then...

Rough scales brushed against her palm gently, and her eyes opened. Blue met green, and she let out a hoarse laugh of excitement.

"Whoa..."

"Amazing, isn't it?" Hiccup said quietly, still on one knee, but his voice was filled with enthusiasm. "What a little bit of trust can achieve? Imagine if everyone could see dragons like we can. What would the world be like?"

"Awesome." Zephyr breathed, then laughed loud, causing Toothless to chuff at her in amusement.

She could feel the grin on her face as Hiccup lifted her from below the arms, and set her on Toothless back, climbing on himself with ease.

"Let's go bud." he encouraged, and the dragon spread his wings, bounding forward. Zephyr fell back into the rider, and one arm curled around her protectively, the other resting lightly on Toothless neck, slightly. He was subtly guiding him with just a touch, and barely even that.

They took off into the air, and across the sea, spiraling slowly into the air, the flying smooth and elegant. Zephyr leaned back, trusting Hiccup, as they flew, then leaned forwards, reaching for the clouds. The rider let her, and she gasped. They were cold, and wet, just like her father's book told her they would rose up, above the clouds, gliding above the puffy sun kissed formations, and towards the sun. She was smiling so much her face hurt. But she didn't care, one hand moving to her bags strap, the other resting on the black scales of the dragon beneath her.

"He wasn't lying about it." she whispered. "It's fantastic."

Hiccup hummed in agreement, then they banked right, and dove through the clouds. "This might surprise you."

He wrapped both arms around her firmly, and then...

They slid off Toothless.

Zephyr screamed as they fell, but Toothless was there, grinning, without teeth, at her, falling with them, and she stopped, staring at him, in amazement and confusion. The wind tore through her hair and clothes, biting at her skin, but there was something exhilarating _perfect_ about it all, she realized. The adrenaline... it was like when she'd tried to fight in the battles. It felt _right_.

She started to laugh again, and Hiccup laughed with her, as they fell. He twisted in midair, and so did Toothless, letting him land on his dragons back, feet-fist. She was set down, Toothless evening out, and then he jumped off again, but this time folds of fabric under his arms caught the air, mimicking how Toothless was gliding. She leaned forwards, both hands on the Night Fury's neck, watching the man glide through the air, easy as could be.

Hiccup tucked his arms in, and twisted, diving again, followed by Toothless and Zephyr. She screamed in delight, as they fell again, and this time, Toothless outpaced his rider, swooping below him, and catching him before the waves. Toothless flared his wings, and they slowed suddenly, smoothly gliding once again. Zephyr laughed again, unable to contain it as Hiccup leaned forwards, to whisper in her ear. "Do you like it?"

"Yes!"

* * *

"This is a bad plan." Gobber muttered, before beaming crazily at the two riders. "It's excellent for you two!"

"Thanks Gobber." Hiccup said dryly, before he flipped his helmet down, and mounted Toothless, followed by Astrid. "Your faith is astounding."

Gobber chuckled, and used his prosthetic to wave the riders off. "Have fun!"

Toothless took off without waiting for either of his riders to answer, in typical Toothless fashion.

* * *

"Now." Hiccup whispered, and Toothless let out a plasma blast. They soared through it, and Night Fury scales rippled into nothing. It was strange, not being able to see the dragon, but Hiccup and Astrid had both gotten used to it long ago. To the point where, it wasn't really even camouflage to them anymore. Or to Stormfly. Just an extra layer of defense.

Hiccup stood up easily on his dragons back, and then threw himself to the side, rolling gracefully across the deck of the Outliers ship, ending in a crouch. Nobody had noticed his silent entrance, so he stomped his prosthesis on the deck a few times, and waited, as his camouflage vanished. He wasn't sure how it worked exactly, seeming to need contact with Toothless while he maintained the cover, but he wasn't questioning it just then.

The nose of his foot stomping was enough to get a half-dozen Vikings attention, and he simply stood there, holding out the scroll Gothi had written out for the negotiations summons as they swarmed around him. When nobody took it, he threw it at their feet. One of them jumped back, as if expecting it to explode. It didn't.

The man in the front finally bent down, and lifted it, nervously unrolling it. He slowly read it, then whirled, and raced back to where he'd come from, barking orders all the while. Weapons were pointed, and Hiccup put his hands up in a half-hearted version of a surrender. It took a few minutes for their apparent leader, a large, red haired man to storm out, and shove the scroll back in his hands.

"No negotiations." he snarled. Hiccup shook his head, and pushed the scroll back. The two pushed it back and forth for a while, until the man drew his sword, and swung at Hiccup.

Hiccup used his right arm guard to block the blow, the dragon scale armor easily holding up against the blade, and then ducked under the man's arm. He twisted his wrist, forcing him to drop the blade, and kicked it into the sea. Then, he let go of the man, and let him recover, before holding the scroll out again. The man sneered.

"Fine. We'll be there. _Leave_."

Hiccup dropped the scroll, and turned, running towards the bow of the boat, where he'd entered from. He vaulted over the edge, and landed behind Astrid, Toothless zipping away, invisible again, and out of sight before anyone could spot them, and make the connections that New Berk desperately didn't need them making.

* * *

"They're coming?" Snotlout asked, the moment Toothless landed, on top of the hill, his two riders looking perfectly at ease on him, even without any form of safety gear, relying only on their skill and experience to stay on. The other members of the group gathered around the Night Fury, eager to hear the news.

"That or they just wanted me to leave." Hiccup said, flipping up his visor and dismounting Toothless, followed by Astrid, who flipped her visor up as well. "But yes, that's what the big angry one said."

"Lots of them are big and angry." Ruffnut grumbled. "Which one are we talking about?"

Astrid gestured a bit with her hands, demonstrating height and width. "'Bout like that. Maybe a bit bigger. Red hair. Oversized sword."

Ruffnut snickered to herself. "Think he's compensating for something?"

Astrid just shrugged. Fishlegs looked slightly pink at the question, and Hiccup sighed dramatically. Tuffnut frowned in confusion.

"Compensating for what?" he asked stupidly. Ruffnut's snickers only grew, and he scowled. "Compensating for what?"

"Tell you when you're older." Astrid promised, patting the twin on the shoulder as she walked past, heading for Snotlout. She held out the scroll Gothi had given the two dragon riders, and he took it in both hands without hesitation. "Anything else we can do for you?"

"Uh..." he paused.. "Unless you want to scout out the meeting area, no, I don't think so."

"Cool." she said, flipping her visor down, and jogging back towards the ocean, where they'd come in from. "Stormfly!"

It was only moments later that the blue Nadder swooped down, and grabbed her rider in her talons. The Viking swung up, so that she was standing on the dragons paws, before easily climbing to her back. The entire thing took only half a minute, not even, and Stormfly never broke stride. Hiccup sighed, flipping his helmet down.

"I guess we're doing that then." he commented, with no lack of sarcasm. Ruffnut scoffed.

"She was always going to be the boss of you."

"Don't I know it." he said, mounting Toothless swiftly, and urging the Night Fury forwards, into the sky once more. "Be back soon!"

* * *

The island negotiations were organized to be on were out of range of New Berks offensive weapons, but close enough that if the Outliers attacked, it would be fairly easy to return in time to help. It was low to the ground, with only a few trees. Around it, stones arch's rose from the sea, majestic and intimidating.

Astrid pressed herself lower down on Stormfly's back, her legs tucked under her, to give the Nadder a full range of motion. They'd done away with almost all their gear over the past... six years? That was how long New Berk said it had been. But it had been longer, right? Long enough that Meatlug had a second clutch of eggs. That wasn't exactly a good judge though. The dragon had been slow about that.

Time worked differently in the Hidden World. Hiccup had suggested it could be dragon magic, or just an effect the environment had on them. She didn't think it mattered very much. It lined up well enough for them. At least, for now.

Stormfly weaved through the sea stacks, then pulled her legs close, and tucked her wings in, diving. Astrid adjusted her hold on the Nadder accordingly, so that she wouldn't fall, enjoying the ride like she always had. Well, except for the time Toothless and Hiccup had kidnapped her, and the first time they'd ridden together; those had been terrifying for the most part.

It had been a hard transition for them, moving out of the riding gear, but a smart one. They were experienced enough that the saddles weren't necessary. And Toothless' gear was intended with the main purpose of letting him fly. With his new tailfin, it was unneeded. And it helped the dragons accept them a bit more.

At first, it had been scary, but she'd quickly realized he fear was unfounded. The dragons in the Hidden World cared for her and Hiccup. They wouldn't let her get hurt.  
While Hiccup practiced maneuvers that only Night Fury and insane people would try, such free falling from hundreds of feet up, she'd learned wing walking. Valka had taught her some, and before that, she'd done something similar in races, but her technique had been nearly, if not completely, perfected now. Before, it had been a rare thing to do, something only the most extreme circumstances brought out. Now, it was a daily thing.

Stormfly pulled out of the dive, and Astrid shifted her handhold, pushing into a crouch, balanced on her fingertips and toes. She stood up straight, arms spread out like wings. Stormfly let out a call, and Astrid grinned. "Jump and catch?"

She didn't really need to call it out, but it didn't hurt to be certain about what exactly they were going to try. Stormfly snorted, and pumped her wings harder, a clear sign to go with it. Astrid bent her knees, and set her gaze on an arch ahead of them. Stormfly's angle had her set to slam into it, although Astrid knew she wouldn't. A little bit before impact, she launched herself forwards, and Stormfly dove. Astrid flew through the air, armor protecting her from any dangers as she soared, the small wings under her arms helping her gain distance.

She tucked her arms in, and dove, feet first, and landed on top of her Deadly Nadder, legs bending to absorb the impact. Stormfly cried out happily, rising higher, and Astrid chuckled, giving the dragon a pat on the neck. "Good girl."

A minute later, another dragon pulled up beside them, looping smoothly around the pair, until they were flying upside-down, above Astrid and Stormfly. Hiccup and Toothless. The rider chuckled at the pair, not bothered by the gravity pulling him down. He offered Astrid a hand, and she took it, wrapping her fingers around his forearm for a better hold. Toothless and Stormfly pulled apart, the two dragons at ease.

She hung from her husband's arm without fear, staring out across the ocean in wonder. They hadn't come up from the Hidden World since they entered, and while it was a world of endless caves to explore, and dragons needing help, there was nothing quite like returning back to your home, and seeing how similar and different it was to what they remembered.

Toothless whirled around happily, and she automatically adjusted her position alongside Hiccup, landing on top of the Night Fury's back. His wings flared, and they slowed, to a near stop, wings held out firmly. Astrid gave her husband a tap on the shoulder, and he leaned slightly to the right, in time with Toothless, gliding towards Stormfly again. The two dragon's kept their wings still as they possibly could, giving her the easiest path.

Rising, she kept her knee's bent, slightly bent over at the chest, arms slightly spread, with her chin up. Quickly, she danced across Toothless' wing, and lightly leaped towards Stormfly. Landing elegantly, she slid down Stormfly's wing as the dragon turned, and stopped at her seat. The two dragons dove, falling through the air, and then jackknifing across the surface of the ocean. They came up across the island, and both of them split up, going opposite directions. They encircled the island, each taking a side, and gathered in the center, where a large boulder sat.

"Wonder how that got there." Hiccup said thoughtfully, as they landed. He quietly slid off of Toothless, heading towards it, flipping his visor up in the process. To him, it looked like some God had just dropped it on the land, and left it there. "We should check it for anyone or anything."

"Yup." she agreed, hopping off, and landing in a crouch. She pulled out a small dagger, and flipped it around, holding it in a defensive position, simultaneously flicking her mask up. Slowly moving forwards, she stepped up onto the first part of the rock. Moving through the crack that split it into two parts, she was followed by Hiccup. The taller man reached out in the faint light that managed to creep into the crack, and brushed something on the wall. To their shock, it lit up.

"Whoa!" Astrid gasped, stumbling back in surprise at the glowing light, as the carvings-for now that they were glowing, it was clear that that's what they were-glowed, the light racing between designs, until the entire tunnel was lit up by artwork. It glowed violet-purple, the color of Night Furies, reminding Astrid of the Dragon's Eye, whenever Toothless had illuminated it. "What is this?"

Hiccup had no answer as they stared at the drawings, then he looked at his hand, realization coming to him. "I think... the scales on my gear lit it up."

"Okay." Astrid said, somewhat unbelieving as she reached forwards. The moment her fingers brushed the artwork, blue-gold light threaded around the violet-white, but not blocking it out. It didn't reveal anything new, but then the light patterns shifted. Certain figures held only the blue-gold, while others the violet-white, and the rest shared it. "So, you're right. But... what made this?"

"Something real old." Hiccup said in wonder, pointing up. "Look, I think... it's a story."

Astrid frowned, slowly letting her eyes roam over the images, up towards where it had to start, above them. "Maybe."

She could see it was divided into several sections. The first, above her, showed dragons and humans, apart, but not warring. They didn't help each other, but they didn't hurt each other either. Then, boats, sailing across water, dragons above them.

"The Migration." Astrid guessed. "When we first came to the Archipelago."

Hiccup nodded, already looking to the next image. War. Dragons and Viking's fighting, and at the end of each one, two figures. A giant dragon with blue-gold fire, drawn in violet-white. The Red Death. And at the other end, a Viking man, that they couldn't identify. Perhaps a chief, or leader of some kind. The message was clear; it was a conflict, headed by the Red Death, and the giant image of the violet-white Viking, with a glowing blue-gold axe.

Below the War mosaic, showed a person on a dragon. Leading others, who were also on dragons, against the Red Death. The Viking leader was gone.

"Is that us, do you think?" Astrid asked, reaching up to touch the pure blue-gold dragon, as if it might be Stormfly. "A prophecy?"

"I have no idea."

The following image was of two of the previous dragons. The one Astrid had touched, and the leader, both of them encircling a bigger dragon, a third with them. This one with four wings, and the one between them, for it was shown from above, seemed to be the Alpha that Drago had commanded. And beside that, six figures stood in armor, in formation, weapons at the ready, five dragons behind them.

"Yeah, I think that's us."

And finally, beside that, it showed a giant image. Two people on dragons; the two who had been circling the Elder. The third was nowhere to be seen. Below the pair, a tree sat, dragons and humans in it, peacefully getting along. A man cared for a dozen dragonets. A Zippleback played with young children. A Terror and a elder curled up together on the branch. But it was half-drawn. The lines incomplete.

"Does that mean..." Hiccup said, confused. "It's not over? We win?"

"Maybe not." Astrid said, pointing to it. "It's like a book. Starts at the top left, rising and falling, and there's all this space that way, to the right. Maybe it's writing itself."

"That's impossible." Hiccup said firmly. "Nothing can do that."

"We used to think riding dragons was impossible. That the Hidden Kingdom was nothing but a made up story. Look at us now. Who's to say Odin didn't write this. Or Frigg, or Frey, or Freya, or -"

"Someone who's name doesn't start with an 'F'." he said cheekily, and she elbowed him in the shoulder good-naturedly. "Like Thor! You like Thor, right?"

"I don't have a favorite." she replied sharply, smiling at him. "You know that."

They watched as the lights faded away, leaving them in shadows again. Astrid sighed, and sheathed her dagger. "There's nothing in here. Let's scout the rest of the place, find somewhere we can camp out while negotiations happen."

"Fine with me." Hiccup agreed, starting to lead them out of the cave, and back into the sunlight, where Toothless was playing with Stormfly. A couple... years? Months? Astrid wasn't sure how long, but between Meatlug's clutch laying, and now, they'd taught the dragons how to play charades. Needless to say, it was now one of their favorite games, alongside more traditional ones like hide-and-seek, tag, and updraft gliding.

Currently, Toothless was waddling around on his hind legs, awfully off balance, his wings tucked in as he wobbled uncertainly, front paws up in the air. Stormfly watched in confusion as the Night Fury tripped, falling to the ground with a huff of anger. Astrid snickered as the dragon sat up unhappily, and Hiccup grinned at his partner.

"Hey bud. Having fun?"

Toothless snorted at him.

* * *

"Ready?" Hiccup asked Toothless, and the Night Fury crooned in acceptance. Yes. "Good. Let's go."

The dragon swirled through the clouded evening air, and tucked his wings in. Diving behind a sea stack, he let out a blast of plasma, that exploded in the air. Hiccup ducked low on the Night Fury's back, as they swooped through it. The plasma, now resting on them, caused some sort of reaction to Toothless' scales. Both the one's he still had, and the ones Hiccup's armor was made of. A ripple was all that could be seen, and even then, only by a well-trained eye.

Hiccup and Toothless skimmed over the water's edge, coming up on the two long ships that were docked on the island. They darted between the two, and swooped around the opposing end of the small island, landing on the grass at the edge of the forest. Quietly, silently, they darted through the trees as one, until they could see the faintest tinges of the torchlight that lit the now-near-night woods.

"Why'd they set it at night, d'ya think?" Hiccup muttered as he pressed himself lower down onto Toothless. The dragon remained silent as they moved forwards, much slower now, and stopping, and the very edge of the firelight. "'Kay, let's be quiet."

They stood still, the two of them nearly invisible, watching the gathering before them. It was lit up with a ring of torches. Gobber stood by the split rock, alongside the twins, Fishlegs, and Snotlout, while the Outliers faced off across from them. There were at least twenty of them, all heavy armed, just like the Berk warriors, and their apparently leader stepped forwards finally, the glare he wore clear, even to Hiccup, who wasn't the victim of it in the first place.

* * *

**_Thirteen Dragon Years Later_ _  
(Unknown Amount of Berk Years)_ **

Standing on top of Stormcutter, who drifted through a massive cave on the updraft that it was known for, Astrid and Hiccup moved smoothly, the pair dancing, and both of them singing, as they wing walked from dragon to dragon. Each of the reptiles around them glowed brightly in the lighting of the cave, as Fireworm's spiraled around them, casting golden glows on the Viking's exposed faces. They still wore their dragon scale armor, but it had been refined. Astrid's dark blue was laced with lighter green and yellow scales from Stormfly, and Hiccup had changed the design of the armor, making it lighter and more flexible for them both. Small wing-flaps hung between their arms and torso, able to extend to be wider or retract to how they were now with ease. Their helmets were nowhere to be seen.

_"I didn't mean to come here,_   
_And I didn't mean to stay,_   
_But I lost my heart to these rainy bogs,_   
_And I'll never go away!"_

Astrid laughed as they danced off of Stormcutter, and onto a waiting Timberjack's wings. They'd named him, like most of the dragons they were particularly close with. He was Stormbringer. Moving across his back, they spun together, Hiccup's prosthetic not slowing them down in the least, both of them somewhat off-tune, but having too much fun to care.

_"I've heard that the sky in America,_   
_Is a blue that you wouldn't believe,_   
_But Berk is my lobster after all,_   
_And now I'll never leave."_

Sharpshot, the Terrible Terror that had jumped on Tuffnut all those years ago in dragon training, let out a cry of enjoyment as he darted past them, throwing his head into the air, and letting out a jet of flames. Hiccup grinned at the creature, before they leaned sideways, as Stormbringer turned. They separated, each one landing on their respective partner, before pulling together again, and stepping onto a large Windwalker, named Blast. She let out a howl as they spun across her scales, but not of anger. Excitement at being included.

_"I was on my way to America,_   
_But I took a left turn at the Pole,_   
_And I lost my shoe in a rainy bog,_   
_Where my heart got stuck in the hole!"_

The Berk anthem was one of the few songs they had from their past. Heather's Lullaby, Berk's Anthem, Marriage Chant, Stick's and Stones... it was proven by Gothi a long time ago that music helped with your memory. Something about brains, and maybe magic. But they sang because it reminded them of... not better times. But ones where Stoick was alive. And Astrid's Uncle Finn.

They finished the anthem, and the pair transitioned into a slower song. Heather's Lullaby.

_"The sky is dark and the hills are white_   
_As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,"_

Astrid sang the words softly, while Hiccup just hummed, the pair pressed close together as they swayed upon Blast, slowly turning in a circle upon the Windwalker's scales, almost shuffling, but not quite, not wanting to irritate the dragon's scales.

_"And this is the song the storm-king sings,_   
_As over the world his cloak he flings:_   
_Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep!_   
_He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:_   
_Sleep, little one, sleep!"_

By the last verse, they'd returned to Stormfly's back, Toothless gliding along beside them, the dragon smiling happily, something he'd perfected over the many, many years of living with Hiccup. The two rider's slid down into a sitting position upon the Nadder, sitting side-saddle beside each other as the last hums faded away. Sharpshot let out a squawk, and flapped his way down, landing on Hiccup's head, and sitting down proudly. He leaned forwards, looking at his friend's face from upside down, and let out a small chirp, before curling up, and falling asleep.

"Let's move him, before you're set on fire." Astrid suggested quietly, and Hiccup hunched over, keeping his head even for the Terror. Astrid gently lifted the dragon off her husband, and set him down in her lap, as if he were a cat. Toothless looked over at them, and let out a questioning purr. Hiccup smiled.

"Go ahead bud." he agreed. "We'll be fine. Promise."

The Night Fury pulled ahead, his scales glowing with white patterns that shone bright against the black, and Hiccup's armor matched, just like Astrid's copied Stormfly. He dove against the draft, swinging out of sight, and into a lower cavern, while the rider's smoothly glided towards a smaller section of caves. Where they lived. Dragon's would gather around if they were injured, or sick, or such things, and the two riders would care for them, much like their mother - slash - mother-in-law had done for her Nest for twenty years.

It was a good place to be. Even if they both missed Berk desperately, it was a good place to be.

* * *

Zephyr bared her teeth at the man before her. He was heavily tattooed, and missing teeth and one leg,

* * *

"Do you trust me?" Hiccup said, his voice quiet, barely audible. Zephyr sucked in a breath, eyes darting between her mother and father, and let it out, giving him a barely noticeable nod. She steeled herself. "Let go."

Her fingers went slack, and she slid free of the trappers hand, falling down, down, down. Sharpshot screamed in terror, his claws digging into her jacket as she tumbled through the air, trying to orient herself. She remembered the first time she'd done a free fall. Hiccup had been holding onto her. Toothless had caught her.

Both hands reached for anything, reaching for the Night Fury that had to be here, had to be there, as she fell, head first, wind tearing at her. And then a blue blur whipped past, and talons wrapped around her boot. She was jerked sideways with the motion, and struggled to lift her head, looking up at the dragon who'd caught her.

"Zephyr?" Nuffink called, and she looked up, at the Nadder that held her, a smile on her face as Sharpshot adjusted his position, and she held him tightly to her chest. Her brother leaned over the edge of the dragon. When he spotted her, he beamed. "Yes!"

She laughed, the sound escaping her impossibly, and they swooped over the coast. Stormfly tossed her into the air, causing her to flip, and caught her, setting her down right way up on the ground, before Nuffink jumped off, letting her soar up, towards their parents. Sharpshot let out a keen of excitement, pressing against her neck, and she grinned, lifting one hand, sending the dragon up into the sky.

* * *

Standing at the bow of a long ship, Zephyr Hofferson stood proudly, her blue eyes focused on the mass of land they were sailing for, the wind rippling her hair and the sea. At her waist, a small, double-bladed dagger rested, the base of the hilt still slightly rusted. On her shoulders, a small dragon perched, almost snoozing.

"My name is Zephyr. It means wind."

She turned, watching as her brother, Nuffink Hofferson fought with a rope. A moment later, Astrid took a hold of it alongside him, and helped him adjust the sail, and tie the rope down. At the stern of the long ship, Hiccup sat, perched on a black dragon, drawing in a notebook. Nearby, a blue dragon stood, watching the village come closer in excitement.

"My parents were the first of our kind to ride dragons. The first to listen, and change our view on them."

She leaned back against the railing, a smile forming on her lips as the Terror woke up, and scrambled down her arm, onto the wood rail. He purred, nuzzling her wrist, and she obliged, scratching him behind his horns. He cooed happily.

"And now they protect them. I used to be angry, but I finally understand exactly why it's so important. Dragons are amazing, and they're misunderstood. They need to be protected."

The Terror plopped down so he was sitting, and Zephyr stopped her scratches as he yawned, fire gas building up. A moment later, he sneezed out a huff of flames, then looked up at her hopefully. She chuckled at his antics.

"While they protect the dragons from threats like illnesses, and weapons, I will protect them with what I know. I will tell their stories to the children of my village, New Berk. And I will ensure that the legends of dragons live as long as the dragons do."

She turned around as the massive structures that surrounded New Berk's island passed them, carved braziers and steps etched into the stone, lighting the way in the dark, whilst the sun set, the end of one story. And the beginning of a new one. One that might last minutes, hours, maybe years, decades, and centuries. But a new one would always rise at the end of the old one.

"For if you every meet a dragon... you'll want to know... how to train your dragon."

**Author's Note:**

> What I Learned:
> 
> (1) Writing characters who are unintelligent is fairly difficult; thus Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut are smarter than they seem to be in cannon. Although, my head cannon is that Ruff' and Tuff' like acting dumb, and are actually fairly clever. Then again, they are older than in the movies/shows here, so I'm justified with it.
> 
> (2) Writing Zephyr is a lot easier than Nuffink; thus, while I wish I would have challenged myself more, but since I didn't, she is more of a main character than her brother.
> 
> (3) The boulder in the center of the Negotiation Island is based off of Okotok's Erratic, or 'Big Rock', this massive boulder (and when I say that, I mean it, we had at least twenty people on it and it still looked empty, and the view is nice, although you're not supposed to be on it) in southern Alberta. It's of pretty big spiritual significance to the Blackfoot peoples, and it's awesome. It was brought down from Jasper during the last Ice Age, and ended up near Okotok's by way of the ice melting. It's not exactly a logical fit for the situation, but I like it personally. And I didn't see any magic glowing carvings there, but I thought it would be cool, the artwork reacting to the dragon scales.
> 
> (4) Checkov's Gun is really hard you guys! I wanted to throw one in here, but the best I managed, at 1:00 AM, was making it sorta parallel How to Train Your Dragon (I always want to say 'tame', no idea why) with the narration at the start/end, and the ending, where Zephyr is caught by Nuffink/Stormfly. Mirroring Toothless and Hiccup catching Astrid, although I'm trusting all of you to have already figured that out. Not sure if that's a Checkov's gun though, I'm kinda out of it.
> 
> (5) I already did know this - YouTube video's about Far From Home I think, go figure, although I could have learned it before that, dunno - but Zephyr actually means 'breeze' or 'wind'.
> 
> (6) For those who didn't get it (my exposition needs some work, I think?), the reason I conjured up for Nuffink and Zephyr not being told who their parents were (other than 'A WIZARD DID IT'), is pretty much the entire... I like to call it the 'Secret Identity Paradox'. The idea that a superhero has to hide their duel-identity from everyone, including family and friends, to keep them safe. Hiccup and Astrid (and Berk in general), had a lot of enemies. With the dragons attacking, the other tribes had a common enemy, and after that, the dragon's living there kept the others away, but now they're not there. And - to me - the best - and kind of evilest - way to break Berk would be to kill their former chief's real bloodline. So, for all the other tribes know, Nuffink and Zephyr are just a pair of random kids who's parents are dead. Not Hiccup and Astrid's kids. If that doesn't work for you, well A WIZARD DID IT, happy?


End file.
